There was a strange moment at the shelter today. At least I think it was today, it could have been last night. Time flows weirdly when tragedy strikes.
My friend, whom I will dub DeadCoyote, had a Red Cross T-Shirt. That's because he is a Red Cross volunteer, sort of. Anyway, it makes him look official so that when he tells someone to get into the food line they go. I thought of wearing my blood donor Red Cross shirt to give me the same look of authority, but I decided against it.
Anyway, the DeadCoyote is standing there in the midst of all of this desperatness, and all of this homeless hungry people are grateful for the help. The Red Cross volunteer (note the singular usage) is obviously overwhelmed. He had a million things to worry about: few volunteers, moving 600 people back and forth to showers, finding them food, finding them linens, having adequate security, and etc. The man had a lot on his mind, I'm sure.
Suddenly, he looks at DeadCoyote and says, "You know you can't talk about God while wearing a Red Cross T-Shirt." Here they are, surrounded by this mass of displaced humanity, my friend is scrambling to help FEED PEOPLE, MOVE THEM, AND CLOTHE THEM, and this guy is worried about us TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT GOD WHILE WEARING A RED CROSS T-SHIRT.
(I have never used all caps in my life, but I somehow feel better now.)
So, DeadCoyote laughed and said he'd keep his T-Shirt on and say what he wanted. The Red Cross guys shrugged, and said sheepishly, "Well, I just have to tell you that." Note to Red Cross guys: No you don't have to say such silly things, even if the Red Cross tells you to.
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Two Voices
12 years ago
5 comments:
I'm not sure whether to get mad, laugh, or cry at that situation. And not really sure what to say beyond that. Very....unbelievable. I'm sure DeadCoyote is gonna say what he wants to...or better yet, what God wants him to.
Anon---
C'mon man! Is now the time for solicitation??!!
Good for Dead Coyote!! God is the only thing that many of these people have left. Life as they knew it, has been destroyed and they need to know that God is in control and they can have total faith in him. It's always comforting to hear God loves you, especially in a time like this.
We better all be repenting for our nation in hopes God will spare us further tragedies...aren't more hurricanes possibly on the way? Man, how many more hits can this country take? It is already affecting us here...gas is nearly gone...have not gone to the grocery store yet...but tomorrow we will see how that goes!
I hope your friend takes that encouragement to DO ALL to proclaim the word of the LORD there!
I HATE the Red Cross...frankly, they have done some horrid things in the past...I tell folks to find other groups, be it the SBC or Salvation Army, etc. I had to have a major surgery...the only one so far in my life, and sign to not give me any blood products even if I was bleeding to death...at that time the Red Cross controlled the blood at the hospital and I was not allowed to save my own or designate my friends to donate...so I chose to take NONE rather than chance getting Aids, etc. We have not donated via the Red Cross since. They are a shame to their founders...but then so is our country a shame (as a whole) to our founding fathers too I believe!
Glad you are doing what you can there...I hope they will soon put up donation trucks here to take useful things into the hurricane area, as was done in the last big hurricane. We are short on cash, but we can certainly share other items we already have!!
Blessings, Elizabeth
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